Hello Gorges! (Finally)

This entry has been locked in blog purgatory for almost a month due to many unforeseen circumstances... especially Chinese censorship of blogger and exasperatingly slow computers. So, after a long time here it is.... Xi'an to Shanghai.

We finally made it out of Xi'an, not a moment too soon, and took a 17 hour long train ride to Chengdu. Calling the ride hellish would be an understatement. The combination of freaky bunk-mates and blaring Chinese music was enough to drive even the most patient person crazy.

After this we spent 4 nights in Chengdu. In this time we managed to see a Sichuan opera, or some tourist perversion of one, and visit the Giant Panda Research Base. The breeding center was well worth a visit as we got to see giant and lesser pandas feeding and lazing about in a somewhat natural environment. The Chinese government has apparently spent a lot of money trying to replenish their stock of precious pandas. By the end of the visit I had my doubts about whether the poor creature should have made it this far. 600,000 years seems like an awfully long time for an animal who ovulates once a year and has to eat bamboo all day to survive.

From Chengdu we went by bus to Chongqing, a city conveniently located on the Yangtze river. I loved Chongqing for the tall buildings with nice lights that reflected in the river at night and of course the amazing hotpot!

Chongqing marked the start of our Yangtze river cruise, an odyssey to last 4 days and 3 nights. For the trip we boarded a '4 star' Chinese cruise ship along with about 400 excited Chinese people. Our quarters were clean, by Chinese standards, if not a little cramped. The ride down the river was fantastic. We floated past cities, farms, temples and finally through the majestic Three Gorges. Periodically we were herded off the boat to see some unimpressive temples. When we got to the Lesser Three Gorges we got into smaller boats for a more intimate tour. I loved looking at the rock formations, caves high atop the cliffs and the tops of trees protruding from the water. It was a really special experience I'll never forget!

The strangeness of the Chinese tour situation was lessened a few other foreigners we met on the boat. We ended up in a group of seven. Having interesting people to talk to and gripe with made the trip all the more enjoyable.

At the end of the trip we got a tour of the actual Three Gorges Dam, just outside of a city called Yichang. We rode in little cars across the top of the dam and then were allowed a brief glimpse over the side. It truly is a feat of engineering! The water has risen to 156m already, submerging farmland, cities, housing etc. It is slated to hit 175m by the end. It was shocking to see signs marking the 175m mark above humble farmhouses.

After the cruise we spent 2 nights in a city called Wuhan. After Wuhan we took a train to Shanghai. Shanghai was one of my favourite cities in China, big and bustling but still with an old charm. We spent our days walking around in the French Concession, old Jewish Ghetto and the historic Bund. The city was a strange mix of futuristic buildings and old European style housing.

After this we headed to Hong Kong... More to come!